FROM THIS EPISODE

It's labeled "Carmageddon" by politicians who don't want the blame for possible gridlock. But it's called "this weekend" by LA Streetsblog, which says, LA drivers won't be idiots after all. It's all about a $1 billion project to complete a continuous carpool lane from Orange County through the Sepulveda Pass to the San Fernando Valley. Caltrans won't even stick to its claim that commuters will ultimately save one minute of drive-time per mile on the 405. Worth it or not, it's about to be with us. We hear about the risks, the preparations and the opportunities. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, assassination and power politics in Afghanistan.

Banner image: An electronic display sign warns motorists of the 11 miles of Interstate 405 that is going to be shut down for the demolition of a bridge for 53 hours starting on July 16, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

If you love to hate the 405 through the Sepulveda Pass, try living without it. That's what the Westside of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley will have to do from 7pm tomorrow, when the ramps shut down between the 10 and the 101, until 5am Monday morning. What does the frenzy over "Carmageddon" say about transportation planning past, present and future?

A suicide bomber set off explosives concealed in his turban today in one of Kandahar's largest mosques. Hundreds of mourners were paying their respects to Ahmed Wali Karzai, President Hamid Karzai's half-brother, who was assassinated on Tuesday. His death has created a power vacuum in the southern part of Afghanistan, destabilized the central government and threatened American efforts to cope with the Taliban and begin withdrawing troops before the end of the year.